NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) -Peermusic, the independent music publishing company, has acquired the entire music publishing catalog of Bluegrass & Country music pioneer Earl Scruggs and the majority of the song catalog of his son, the late Gary Scruggs. The announcement was made by Kathy Spanberger, President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), Anglo American Region and Michael Knox, President, peermusic Nashville.
During his lifetime, Earl was a collaborator and close friend to many at peermusic, including company founder Ralph S. Peer. Peermusic has been the publisher of his song catalog since the songs were written. Through this deal, peermusic acquired the US rights it had already administered for Earl and some of the Scruggs estate’s previously controlled songs. The deal also includes acquiring most of the song catalog of the late Gary Scruggs – a Grammy award-winning songwriter, musician and eldest son of Earl and Louise Scruggs.
Jesse and Jaime Scruggs, the grandsons of Earl and sons of Gary, said in a joint statement, “Keeping these song catalogs with peermusic is an easy decision for us because we know how much they have done to support The Scruggs family – and they know these song catalogs inside and out. We’re thrilled to have these songs looked after by Kathy, Knox and the peermusic team.
“We are now the third generation of the Scruggs family to work alongside the peermusic team. Our grandfather trusted peermusic as his music publisher from the beginning of his career, and the team at peermusic has been like a family to us throughout these many years.”
“It’s a rare opportunity to acquire these incredible catalogs of songs in this competitive music rights landscape, but what makes this most meaningful to us is the decades-long relationship that peermusic has enjoyed with Earl and Gary. This deal really exemplifies everything a relationship between a songwriter and a publisher should be.
“Earl and peermusic worked together successfully for decades to share his music with the world, and peermusic continues that tradition with the songs of Gary. We thank Jesse, Jaime, and the Scruggs family for this opportunity. The entire team at peermusic is honored to continue championing and protecting Earl and Gary’s incredible legacy of music so that these songs can be enjoyed for generations to come,” said Spanberger.
“The Scruggs are multi-generational music royalty who have worked with the Peers, a multi-generational family of music publishers since Day 1. The history here is incredible. Few artists have defined an entire genre the way that Earl and Gary have with bluegrass, or that so popularized a single instrument across genres as Earl did with the banjo. We’re delighted to continue our work with the Scruggs family and to represent their interest in some of country music’s most beloved songs,” said Knox.
Earl was recognized with numerous accolades for his immense contributions to bluegrass and country music throughout his lifetime. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame, four Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal of Arts.
Earl, an exceptionally gifted songwriter and 5-string banjo player, revolutionized the genre with a unique three-fingered picking style that has since become a hallmark of bluegrass banjo. He began his career in 1945, joining Bill Monroe’s band and meeting Lester Flatt. The two were mainstays of Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys for a little over two years before striking out on their own.
Performing as Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, they became arguably the most well-known bluegrass band in the nation. They shared the stage with other music legends like Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, and Maybelle Carter of the legendary Carter Family.
In 1969 Earl began pursuing a solo career bringing his sons Gary and Randy to perform with him in the Earl Scruggs Revue. The group found success recording for Columbia Records throughout the 1970s. Though Earl’s output of original bluegrass material was prolific, he began interpreting popular music with a bluegrass approach, making him one of country music’s first true crossover artists.
Grammy-winning performer Gary, the oldest son, played alongside his legendary bluegrass father as well as in a duo with his brother Randy. Born in 1949 and immersed in the music world from a young age, Gary picked up guitar and bass early on, contributing to Flatt & Scruggs’ albums while still a teenager. He and Randy formed The Scruggs Brothers, releasing two projects together: All the Way Home (1970) and The Scruggs Brothers (1972).
Throughout his career, Gary would go on to serve as a backing musician and producer for Waylon Jennings and also earned a Best Country Instrumental Performance Grammy award for his performance as part of the Earl Scruggs and Friends’ rendition of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” in 2001.
On May 22nd of this year, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum officially accepted the donation of Earl’s Granada banjo into their permanent collection. Jesse and Jaime, along with the peermusic team, were on hand. The event was hosted by Vince Gill, and music was provided by The Earls of Leicester, Sierra Ferrell and Alison Brown.
